


held in the future.

by extemporaneous



Category: The Watchmaker of Filigree Street - Natasha Pulley
Genre: Bottom!Thaniel, Canon Compliant, Fluff, Hurt/Comfort, M/M, Plot What Plot/Porn Without Plot, Synesthesia, Wedding Night
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-06-29
Updated: 2018-06-29
Packaged: 2019-05-30 13:49:06
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,787
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15097931
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/extemporaneous/pseuds/extemporaneous
Summary: The kiss felt different than the one before it. The apology in it was gone, there was no trace of hesitation in either of their movements. He felt need tug in his stomach, and one of his hands wandered to trace the ridge of his Adam’s Apple. Months before he wouldn’t have entertained the thought of Mori’s tongue against his own, of his slightly thicker bottom lip between his teeth. But he wouldn’t trade any of the seemingly infinite choices for one that didn’t lead here.





	held in the future.

**Author's Note:**

> I wanted to focus on the nuances of their relationship AND give you guys some smut so I hope I pulled through for at least one of those. I wasn't sure where I would take it with the PWP so it's just where they took me. Anyways, enjoy!

“Don’t tell me, just intend to. And then I’ll forget if you change your mind.” 

 

*

Mori descended the stairs and they released the finest of floorboard squeaks, barely enough to make his presence known but enough for Thaniel to distinguish it from the normal ambiance of the shop. “Was she furious?” The red-gold of his voice faded to a more subdued tone, and Thaniel felt his chest twist. But he would not lie to Mori. He didn’t want to lie anymore, and being dishonest had never been a strength. 

“Yes.” He said, sure his own voice made less noise than the dust drifting from the ceiling, the specks catching light, looking like gold dust. He extended an arm for Mori to take a steaming cup of tea. He took it gingerly, the trace of a grateful smile quickly overwhelmed by a tinge of fear. Thaniel’s eyes lingered on the way his fingers wrapped around the cup, the way his knuckles reflected the orange glow of the lights. 

The shorter man sat down, watching the tea swirl, and Thaniel noticed for the first time how truly tired he looked, like stress and knowledge of all things to come had worn down his spirit bit by bit for years. “I had hoped that it wouldn’t come to pass. Maybe the wedding would tire her and she’d sleep soundly, or the awful chardonnay would keep her at bay.  I’m sorry that I didn’t warn you not to come tonight. A wedding night is a sacred thing, and a man meeting another man does not belong with sacred things.” 

Thaniel felt like he was holding his breath, waiting for the moment when he could finally, truly release it. He hadn’t come here with the taste of Mori’s lips on his mind, he hadn’t been distraught with the need to feel his body pressed against his, interlocking in ways he’d never explored in his youth. This was London. They’d be caught. Grace was only proof of the insidious nature of society, the one no one talked about until they were screaming it through smashed shop windows. She came to remind them.  _ Drinking tea in the dark _ . It seemed that clairvoyance was easier to hide than love. Thaniel laughed at the thought, and it was a bitter, tired noise, like cogs in a machine that had never been properly aligned. 

Mori tilted his head, black eyes filled with an emotion that went deeper than could be named, and he set his tea down on the small mahogany table to his left. “I don’t regret not telling you.” He held his hand up, palm in, motioning for the pianist to come closer. Thaniel looked behind him, out to the street. The window held back flurries of snow and the billowing winter wind that swept in from the sea. No one would be walking past tonight, certainly not close enough to peer through the window. The dim lights sheltered them. 

He came to rest on the floor, sat at the foot of the chair, legs tucked underneath his bum. Mori’s knees bumped against his arms, and even that contact set Thaniel’s nerves alight, the hush of his shirt against his pants a soft yellow glow. The older man brought his palm up to caress his jaw, the slightly calloused pad of his thumb rubbing in circles. Thaniel felt the tension in it ease, and he leaned into the touch. For a brief moment Mori paused, and tilted his head up to look at him with a steady grip only a Watchmaker could have. Thaniel could feel his cheeks heat. Not one person had ever had the same light in their eyes when they looked at him. 

“I need you to know,” The watchmaker said, the whisper of his voice like a ribbon in the breeze,“When you stumbled into my shop that night, I remember thinking how beautiful you were. How your eyes, even in a haze, followed me through the room.” 

“Mori…” Thaniel whispered, hoping to convey that the other man did not have to be vulnerable tonight. Not if he didn’t choose so. Mori shook his head minutely. 

“Leaving Japan was the most terrifying moment I’ve experienced. I left so much to chance. What if I had been wrong? If we’d never met? Sometimes the thought would make me so sick, I’d not leave the shop. I couldn’t imagine what I would do with myself, with my years here, if you hadn’t stumbled in through the door. Losing someone I’d never had. You’ve always been my friend Thaniel, you  _ will always be my friend. _ ” 

Thaniel didn’t manage a word before he was leaning in, and Mori’s breaths were like little puffs of steam against his mouth. He hovered there less than a centimeter from touching him, looking at him through long lashes, his already dark eyes darker still, like the comfort of a summer’s night sky. 

The kiss felt different than the one before it. The apology in it was gone, there was no trace of hesitation in either of their movements. He felt need tug in his stomach, and one of his hands wandered to trace the ridge of his Adam’s Apple. Months before he wouldn’t have entertained the thought of Mori’s tongue against his own, of his slightly thicker bottom lip between his teeth. But he wouldn’t trade any of the seemingly infinite choices for one that didn’t lead here. 

Mori paused, and pulled away, and Thaniel could have sworn he saw a glimmer of tears in his eyes. His lips were swollen pink from the kiss and his voice was hoarse, a deep green. “Do you mean that?” 

“That I wouldn’t trade a thousand tomorrows or yesterdays for now?” He let his hand move to trace the sharpness of his collar bone, savoring how warm his skin was. Everyone told him that this lonely man was dangerous. That he should, in some fashion, be scared. He burned like a wildfire, but Thaniel was no longer afraid.  “Yes. I mean it.” 

 

*

The bedroom felt like embers compared to the chill of downstairs, and the fire crackled softly now, the wood completely blackened. Thaniel was surprised to see that a few personal belongings had made their way into his room: set on his dresser was a postcard from a scenic view in Japan, a sketch Thaniel recognized from when he’d absentmindedly drawn Mori at the tavern, and a small clockwork bird- he recognized it as a crow, despite all the metal shining a deep golden hue. It chittered, its wiry feet tapping on the wood. Mori’s hand slipped from his own, where he’d held it gently. Taking in his figure, which was illuminated yellow and silver from fire and moonlight, Thaniel reached for him again, sliding a curious hand underneath his collar, up his neck and into his hair, fingers splaying in it.  He pulled him forward, placing a kiss on his temple, only having to tilt his head slightly for the shorter man, and then let his lips brush down, imagining his tan skin turning to gold under his touch. 

Mori let out a tiny noise, a foggy grey whistle of pleasure and used his own hands to work at the buttons of Thaniel’s shirt, undoing them one by one. His shirt slid down his arms, bundling where his elbows bent. 

“I never stayed in this memory, though I knew it was here.” Mori said, hands trailing down Thaniel’s trim sides as the other man worked on his clothes. Thaniel shivered at the touch. He wasn’t old, but he wasn’t the same boy he’d been. Years passed, but he’d been so busy, disinterested in women and marriage, that this moment was entirely new to him. He felt somewhat useless, unsure of what to do next. 

Mori smiled, pressing his forehead to Thaniel’s, his darkening blonde hair falling into his eyes. “It’s okay, it’s been a long time for me.” The younger man’s eyes widened when he tugged at the rim of his trousers, his hands feeling with deft fingers for the button. He undid it with ease, and they pooled to the floor. Mori undid his own, so Thaniel didn’t feel exposed for more than a moment. 

All of the creations downstairs, intricate clockwork filled with precious jewels, delicately balanced concoctions of chemicals that produced shimmers of light and fire and color, none of them held even a candle light to their creator. Breath escaped him, and without realizing he was reaching out to touch him. Thin fingers trembling, they found his arms, his shoulders, his hips, exploring and meandering over all the scars brazed onto his skin from a cruel childhood. 

Oh, how Thaniel  _ wanted _ . It burned inside him, and all of the passing touches and glances came rushing to him at once, and he could imagine even if only briefly, that this was what Keita had felt his entire life. “Oh…”

Mori hushed him, and then with both hands on his shoulders, led him to the bed. The mattress gave underneath their weight, and it was the first time he felt  _ him _ , eliciting a drawn out moan from the contact, his mouth hanging open stupidly. Mori caught his lip between his teeth, tugging slightly, before they strayed down his neck, sucking at the skin until it was tender. 

Thaniel couldn’t even follow his own thoughts but luckily, Mori could. “It’s okay. Lay down, and I’ll...show you.” He said it in Japanese and against the crook of his jaw, forcing Thaniel to stay present. He thought that the burgundy of his voice would sear into his mind forever. He nodded, swallowing the stone in his throat. He wasn’t scared, just nervous, every sensation completely new and overwhelming. 

Mori started his way down, tongue trailing in swirling patterns over his chest. He lingered on his nipples and Thaniel couldn’t keep his mewling down, purple and blue fireworks crackling behind his eyelids. He whined when Mori stopped, opening his eyes as he stood up to retrieve something from his bathroom. The space where he’d been was cold. When he returned he had something in his hand. It was a little vial, similar to the ones he’d shown him before, and filled with what looked like a milky substance. 

“It’s to make this easier.” He answered, before Thaniel had even asked. “It doesn’t exist yet, so I had to make it myself. In case this…” For a moment his eyes seemed distant, but he came back when Thaniel squeezed his arm. “...in case this happened. Now. I’ve been neglecting you.”

Thaniel snorted indignantly, but he too was well aware he was achingly hard. His reply was once again cut short by a slicked hand wrapping around him and his back arched upwards, a string of gasps and moans hitching and faltering like Katsu before he needed to be wound up again.  Mori cursed, Japanese syllables cutting through the air, and he waited for Thaniel’s eyes to clear, and for him to come back down. “Sorry.” He whispered, realizing that Thaniel had almost come from that one simple touch. He’d have to pace him. Suddenly he was thankful patience was one of his virtues. 

Thaniel shook his head and whined, chest heaving. “ _ Please _ do more of that.” 

Mori could do nothing but pay Thaniel’s request in full, their eyes meeting as he poured some more of the liquid onto his fingers, before tracing one down along the faint trail of hair, fingernail circling the base of his length before tracing down even lower. Thaniel couldn’t have even guessed he was so sensitive down there. Mori knew his sharp inhale before it even came, and his own stomach twisted pleasantly at the thought of witnessing his euphoria twice.

In this moment it was like he could feel the faint pleasure of 40 different paths this could take, and each of them sent a shiver down his spine. And suddenly, it truly hit him, crashing into him like a steam engine. The man he loved, the one he’d always loved. The one he thought he’d never truly meet. He was  _ moaning _ , naked and flush with desire in front of him, his ivory skin alight from the dancing fire behind them. Mori had yearned for this moment, for this future, and now he wished to suspend it safely, untouchable by time and death and all things inevitable. More than anything he wanted to show Thaniel how much he loved him, and he could think of no better way than their shared worship in bed. 

So he did, whispering prayers of adoration into his skin as he pressed his mouth to the base of Thaniel’s cock, eliciting another low whine from him. With one hand splayed against his abdomen he used the other tease Thaniel’s entrance, tracing in neat circles with slick covered fingers. 

Suddenly, Thaniel tensed. “Will it hurt?” 

Mori pursed his lips, stilling and his reply was slow. “Not with the liquid, though it would be noticeably more enjoyable if you allow yourself to relax.” 

The younger man nodded, but propped himself up on his elbows, face red and expression sheepish. He started to speak and then stopped himself, visibly working up the courage to say it. Mori knew what it was he was trying to say, but he wanted to hear him say it. Finally, his voice hoarse, he managed. “I want to watch.” 

Mori’s own cock twitched at the thought, and he went back to his work dutifully, and after a long moment of teasing, he finally pressed a finger in, just to the knuckle and watched in awe as Thaniel’s toes curled and his own fingers went white as they pulled at the sheets, creating a halo of wrinkles around them as he twisted his wrist. Mori paused, worried there was any pain, and Thaniel’s voice dropped at least an octave, now like the scrape of gravel against gravel. 

“Please don’t stop.” 

The watchmaker hummed, pleased, and in a smooth motion pressed his finger in as far as it would go, working in and out at an agonizingly slow pace. A sheen of sweat had developed on his skin and it caught the light of the slivered moon, making him look even paler than he was. Two fingers followed, and Keita felt a little proud at how easily Thaniel took it, shoving downwards on to them, his breaths sharp and rapid. Keita paused for a moment and Thaniel’s grey eyes focused again, glancing at him with worry. 

“Careful work pays off.” The watchmaker’s voice was breathy, and he closed his eyes as he pulled out his fingers, the squelch more obscene than it had been in the memory. 

 

*

Their bodies worked together, sliding against each other, and every single time bursts of color flooded his senses. Mori’s voice now shifted from bronze to light grey to burgundy by the second, a flashing chameleon. He felt full, stuffed, with Keita inside of him. He hadn’t realized that men had a spot inside designed to make this enjoyable, but everytime Mori brushed against it his toes curled and he felt like he’d be pushed over the edge. 

The man was sure it had only been a minute, but it seemed like forever, Mori’s hands braced against the back of thighs, pressing inky thumbprints into them, but Thaniel loved it. He wanted to remember this, wanted to hold this moment in the future. He could feel his body become increasingly tighter, drawing taught like a bow, and the heat boiling down low. It’s not like he’d ever experienced it before but it had been like a broken symphony, where not all the instruments had been there. Now it sung like it had been composed with care, hundreds of different factors coming together perfectly at the hands of a maestro. One last time Mori pushed inside him, and he toppled over the edge the crescendo of it spilling. With a frantic hand he pulled Mori by the back of his neck so he could kiss him, tongue grazing the roof of his mouth, and his teeth. He felt as the already wet heat inside him became wetter, and watched in awe as Mori himself came undone, any semblance of composure gone. 

“I love you.” Thaniel couldn’t even hear himself say it, but he repeated it over and over. And it was true. He longed to say something more, but there wasn’t anything that came close to the adoration he felt. 

Mori smiled, the lines by his eyes deep and kind, and it was the softest thing Thaniel had ever seen. “There will never be a word for us. Just think it, and I will feel it.”

**Author's Note:**

> My tumblr is poefinn or morikeita. I'd love love love love any feedback! It makes me feel like it's worth it. I'm always trying to make things as angsty as possible because I love Emotions and Feeling.   
> Also, about half way through this I couldn't shake the feeling that Thaniel is trans, and that Keita is genderfluid so you might see some more, gender-centric smut in the future xoxo
> 
> Thanks for reading, and: Natasha Pulley please interact. <3


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